Personal Childhood Web

My Mom & Dad with my 3 kids!

MY MOM: The first person that I think of when it comes to my childhood influences is my mom.  As a child, my mom stayed home with us when we were young and worked outside of the home once we went to school.  However, she was always there with us before school and was home when we got off the bus.  She cared for and nurtured myself, my sister, and my brother in several ways.  She made sure we had the things we needed, always cooked good meals, and always encouraged us in whatever we did.  Some of the ways she made me feel special was that she always cooked a hot breakfast for us before we left for school.  My friends always got cereal, but mom made sure we had something hot and home cooked to start off our day.  Another way was in her words to me.  She always praised me for the things I accomplished and gave me positive feedback when I was navigating through early life.  My mom was also the one who guided me in my relationship with Christ.  She lead me to Christ when I was seven, and always provided the spiritual guidance that I needed.  Watching her live and grow in a relationship with God made it real to me and something that I have always strived to duplicate.  Even now, my mom is one of my best friends.  She always provides wise counsel and a shoulder to cry on.  She laughs with me, gives me advice, and loves me no matter what!  Even though there are now 600 miles between us, I know she will always be there for me!

MY DAD:  The second person on my list is my dad.  When I was growing up, my dad was always working and trying to provide us with everything we needed and some of the things we wanted.  He is a strong man with high moral standards who believes in living a life devoted to God and family.  When I was little, I would crawl up in his lap and snuggle while we watched TV.  I was always in awe of how strong he was.  I also loved that he loved my mom.  They have been married 41 years now, and they are still in love.  When we were little, dad used to come home and take mom in his arms and give her a big smooch every day!  That is one thing that I never worried about was the love between my parents.  Dad was also the spiritual leader in our home.  He raised us to be in church every Sunday, in the bible everyday, and living a life for Christ.  My dad was also, and still is, my protector.  When I made some bad choices, he wasn't afraid to point out my errors, but still loved me just the same.  My dad is still in the role of protector and likes to make sure I'm taken care of.  I love to see my dad with my kids, as he loves them tremendously!

GRANDMA:  Another person that made a huge impact on my life when I was young is my grandma.  She took care of us in the summer while my mom worked and also had a huge impact on my spiritual journey.  She would guide me through some tough questions during the summer that I accepted Christ into my life and I believe it was because of her guidance through those questions that I lead me to accept Christ into my heart with my mom when I was seven.  I also knew my grandma prayed for me on a daily basis which helped me through many of the tough years as a teenager.  Even to this day, my grandma still prays for me on a daily basis and has provided a financial base that has allowed me to stay home with my children.  She is a true treasure.

SISTER:  The last person who had an influence on me as a child was my sister.  She is four years older than me and provided a role model as we grew.  When we were little and rode the bus to school everyday, she was my protector on the school bus and always made sure I made it to my class.  I was always so glad to see her at the end of the day!  As we grew through our childhood, there were many times where it was her mistakes that I learned from.  Being that she was the first born child, I believe our parents were harder on her than they were on me.  So I would watch and learn from her mistakes and successes .  Although my sister and I are not as close now as I wish we were, I know she would be there for me at a moments notice.